Battle Wounds

four.

Harper's decision to leave loomed over her like a dark cloud. Not only did she have no place to stay but she had no plan. Her choices were limited, almost nonexistent. She swallowed down the surge of panic, forcing herself to keep walking as she pushed her problems aside.

I'll figure it out. It'll be okay, she told herself. Not because she believed it but because she needed to trick herself into thinking it was true.

Harper crossed the busy street and found herself in front of a park. It was busy enough where she could blend in with the crowd and pretend she was just enjoying a summer afternoon.

If only it was that simple. That normal.

Her steps became slower as all urgency left her body and exhaustion taking place. An empty picnic table away from the main path called to her. She sank onto the wooden, splinter-ridden bench and shrugged the backpack off her shoulders. Her mind buzzed with all the thoughts she'd kept at bay, making it impossible to not feel anxious.

She wondered if the Hudsons realized she'd left. If so, were they worried? Were they relieved? It had been nearly an hour since she stepped out of the house, so it was entirely possible they noticed. But Harper had no way of knowing that. All she knew was that she'd made the right choice. As drastic as it'd been, it had been the right move.

At least that's what she told herself. What she tried to convince herself of.

The Hudsons had been as close to a perfect family as possible. Until Harper moved in and ruined the family dynamic. The last thing she wanted was for their family to fall apart. They were already fighting because of her, and she didn't want them to decide to send her back. For once in her life, she wanted to be the one to make the decision. Take control of her life rather than be shipped off to some other foster family that would treat her like shit.

A gentle breeze picked up and rustled the leaves in the trees. Harper moved her hair out of her eyes and squinted against the late afternoon sun. Though there were still a few hours left until night would fall, Harper needed to come up with a plan. She pulled her bag onto her lap and dug through it. Paper crumbled beneath her fingers, and she pulled out a few wrinkled bills. Her options were severely limited as she needed more than the ten dollars in her hand.

A frown made its way onto her face. She'd been in tough situations before but had never been homeless. The idea of sleeping on a park bench caused the anxiety to return at full force. She knew sitting there was counterproductive, so she stood up and slung the bag onto her shoulder. She made her way through the park, forcing herself to believe that everything would be okay. That she hadn't made the worst decision of her life.

Harper quickened her pace when she spotted a bus stop up ahead. Out of breath, her eyes scanned the sign that listed the times and destinations. She had no idea what time it was or when the next bus would be but she sat on the plastic bench and waited. Luckily, the wait hadn't been long, and a Greyhound bus pulled up just a few minutes later.

"Where to?" The driver asked as she climbed the two steps onto the bus.

"San Diego," she said, handing the bills to the driver.

The driver raised an eyebrow. "It's thirty-five dollars, hon. You're short."

Harper blanched at the amount, her heartbeat picking up as she tried to fight for something to say. "R-right. Uhm, I'm supposed to meet up with my cousin. Any way I can pay the difference when I get there? She had the money, I promise."

"Sorry, that's not how it works," the driver said, handing the money back to her.

Harper stood there momentarily, frozen as her world spun around her. Without a word, she stepped back out onto the sidewalk and watched the bus pull away. Sighing, she shoved the money into her pocket.